Paisans Pizzeria — Restaurant in Cicero

I remember having good times eating lunch with clients at the Paisans out in Berwyn, Illinois. The pizza was always fresh and that sweet sauce was to die for. It's no different out in Cicero. I've been meaning to review Paisans Pizzeria for years, but I always forget to actually write down my thoughts. Maybe the experience is so good that it makes you forget what you’re there for? Recently Dave Portnoy from Barstool sports reviewed the location out in Cicero and didn't give it a favorable rating. This generated a lot of criticism towards Paisans and the owner responded. I've been following Dave recently and find it hard to call what he does "reviews." In my opinion what he does is a gimmick entertainment show built around short video formats like YouTube shorts, TikTok, etc. I'd argue a disturbing portion of his reviews are influenced by his mood at the time. He rarely follows his only rule and name of the show (One Bite,) barely says anything about the pizza and clearly is biased towards New Haven style pizza where it's a crispy, overcooked (straight up burnt/blackened in a lot of cases) pizza with very little toppings outside of cheese. My thoughts that his review of Paisans' being totally unfair especially since he clearly was in a bad mood and complained about our Chicago weather inspired me to finally work on mine.

I ordered my current favorite (traditional crust with basil, sausage and pepperoni.) Usually, I have ground beef instead of sausage as it meshes better with the basil. Sometimes I add giardiniera for an extra kick. The pizza was out of the door fairly quickly. This was surprising to me because usually at night Paisans can take over an hour to get a pizza out due to being so busy. It's especially impressive because this is the middle of Summer when everybody is outside.

The pizza smells like a bakery even at home. If you've ever lived next to a bread factory like I have then you know what I'm talking about. It doesn't get better than that. With other pizzerias you'll typically smell the grease, meat or sauce in lieu of the crust. It's not your typical thin crust, overcooked to a crisp, greasy mess that you'll find at a pizzeria like a Rosati's and many other Chicago style pizza joints. Paisans' crust is slightly airy with a slight crisp on the bottom. It's almost like pita bread. The crust is not meant to be “burnt” so it’s usually features a slight gold to light brown almost whiteish gradient. This is a misconception I see with the criticism of the dough. It seems most people don’t realize that golden brown or blackened bread doesn’t mean it’s “cooked.” The act of browning something means you’re developing the surface level crust by OVERCOOKING/BURNING IT which is why only the surface is affected and the inside is still white. It’s almost as if these people have never had a flour tortilla in their life.

The moment you bite into a slice, a wave of that sweet sauce hits your tongue. This prepares you for the incoming flavor bomb of cheese and meat. Paisans is one of those pizzerias that prides itself on its sauce akin to Tombstone. The paired meats, cheese, etc. are all meticulously chosen to not outshine the sauce. Unlike lesser pizzerias you can still taste each ingredient. They combine into an overall satisfying pizza. I did notice that the basil was sliced into smaller bits and spread out unlike years prior where they'd bake whole leaves. This leads to a much less potent basil flavor which was disappointing although I can understand why they did it.

Overall, I think Paisans has a lot to offer. If you're a fan of sweet sauce, then this place should be the standard. I put Paisans as the standard for where pizza in general should be. It's not going to knock your socks off, but it's damn good. They do need to reconsider their pricing though. They are just about the same as Home Run Inn's ridiculous prices and only outshined by Nancy's pizza. They are also one of the only pizzerias that has basil (whole fresh leaves, not the dried basil that you get from the store) so it's definitely...

I cannot believe, am appalled, and extremely DISAPPOINTED at the service, resource and MANAGER that was hired at this location.

Paisans is one of my favorite pizza places (I have ordered there weekend) and we’re always accommodating to THEIR PAYING CUSTOMERS.

Today, July 3, 2019, I had the WORST service at this location.

From one of their trained associates who took my order notified me that their manager WAS not available, they did NOT have a MANAGER ON CALL, because they WERE EXTREMELY busy.

As a REGULAR HOLIDAY WEEKEND, these associates should be FULLY TRAINED, PREPARED, AND READY FOR THE WEEKEND TO COME.

The fact that NO MANAGER WAS ON DUTY OR AVAILABLE IS OBSURD, UNPROFESSIONAL, and EXTREMELY UNORGANIZED.

Paisans, as a REGULAR customer I am EXTREMELY disappointed at the service that I just experienced. From the initial first calL to this location I let your associates know that my pizza WAS LATE. It wasn’t until SHE stated that TIME DOES NOT START UNTIL PAISANS FULFILLS MY ORDER that 60 minutes starts from when my order is taken.

Paisans. Your terms and conditions, your website, YOUR CONTRACT NOR MENU does NOT state this information.

Not to mention I WAITED 40 MINUTES TO WAIT FOR A “MANAGER” TO ANSWER MY CALL for MY CONCERNS THAT I PAID FOR ON MY ORDER.

Who ever “Naz” is and was working as a “manager” on July 3 from 11:30pm - 12:30am should be HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS.

THIS IS SO UNACCEPTABLE, DISAPPOINTING, UNPROFESSIONAL, and RIDICULOUS for the service that I just experienced.

Paisans, your pizza is great however YOUR SERVICE MAKES THIS PIZZA TASTE DISGUSTING.

Get...

Keep giving this place the benefit of the doubt... but keep having less than mediocre service and food.

We ordered for pickup this time. We called in the order and that was a nightmare! Kept getting put on hold, at one point for over 5 minutes so we hung up and called back just to talk to anyone only to get put on hold again.

Then we had to repeat our order 3 times to different people and they still missed a part of the order despite reconfirming the order!

I honestly don't know what is so hard about taking a food order. Most of the girls behind the counter don't know what the menu items are or how to enter the order. Sure, they might be new but still terrible experience for the customer.

The pizza was ok. Its tasted better but this time it was not a winner! I really don't think the owner cares anymore. The place has turned into a chain and has lost what made it special.

This is not a preferred choice for me and I avoid it if possible. If it wasn't for my kids loving Pizza so much and this being walking distance from the house, I would not come here at all.

The best part about the place is that it got a facelift not too long ago so it looks pretty! But that all that is positive about this place.

I do not recommend you go here. There are better places and if you really want stellar pizza, try Danny's Pizza Place on Archer! That is what its supposed...